Adjustable head golf club



T. BANCROFT ADJUSTABLE HEAD GOLF CLUB Filed April 6, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l NVE'N Tm Thdmas Boncrof'l' Aug. 7, 1945.

ADJUSTABLE HEAD GOLF CLUB Filed April 6, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T; BANCROFT I 2,381,636

\NVENTOQ:

, Thomas Bomcrofi a mml Patented Aug. 7, 1945 2.381.636 AbJUs'rABLE HEAD GOLFCLUB Thomas Bancroft, Sherburn-in-Elmet, England,

assignor of one-half to Norman W. G. Blackburn, near Leeds, Yorkshire, England :Application April 6, 1944, Serial No. 529,728

In Great Britain January 19, 1944 .9 Claims. ((1273-49) This invention relates to improvements in adjustablehead golf clubs. I

There have been several proposals for a universal golf club in which the angle of the striking face of the head may be adjusted either infinitely or into one of a predetermined number of possible positions to enable a player to strike his ball to different distances without having to carry a number of different clubs as is customary.

The previous proposals have not however been entirely satisfactory either due to difliculty of adjusting the head of the club, its unorthodox appearance, and inability to stand up to continued use.

Now the object of the present invention is to provide an infinitelyvariable club head in which the angle of the striking face may be varied between predetermined limits such that both the loftand lie may be altered, which is such that the club is of normal appearance.

According to the present invention the head of the club is rotatable relative to the shoulder and the movement of the head is controlled by an element capable of moving along the shoulder only under manually applied effort to an element engaging the slide.

More particularly an extension or stem made fast to and integral with the club shaft at an appropriate angle thereto is provided with a keyway or spline along which is slidable an element having an external helical thread or splines engaging corresponding helical keys or splines in a bore in the head in which is arotatable gear operable externally of the head and engaging cross teeth in the slidable member such that rotation of the gear moves the slidable member,

alongthe splines and the helical splinesby en-. gagement with those of the head of the club cause rotation of the head. In such an arrangement it is impossible to rotate the head' of the club except by manual rotation of the gear and the construction is so robust that it will withstand almost indefinite wear. The angle of the stem to the sole of the head is such thatrotation of the head alters both its loft and lie.

The operating gear wheel is conveniently rotated by a coin or tool engaging a slot or other convenient aperture in the end face thereof which may be located in the striking face or at some other convenient part of the head. i v

This slotor the like conveniently also serves as an indicator so that by adjustment thereof relative to a scale of numbers the striking face of the club may be adjusted to the angle of the face of any given club number or 'by positioning it intermediate adjacent numbers to any intermediate club. i

There is therefore possibility of a greater range of angles to give the golfer more complete con trol over his ball with the added advantage of repeated use of the same club increasing his confidence due to familiarity and constancy of weight with the natural change of stance due to the altered lie of the head following the change of loft. 1

Now in order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect it is hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given for purposes of illustration and not of limitation.

In these drawings: I

Figure l is a front view of the club head.

Figure 2 is a rear View thereof.

Figure 3 is an end-on View of the club head.

Figure l'is a section taken on the line IV IV looking in the direction of the arrows of Figure Figure 5 is a cross section on the line V- V also loo-king inthe direction of the arrows taken on Figure 1. I i

Figure 6 is an exploded view showing the stem, slide and club head separated. l Figure '7 is a cross section similar to Figure 1, showing an arrangement incorporating a modified form of slide. 1

Figure 8 is a plan view of the modified slide; and

Figure 9 is another cross section in which the movement of the operating gear is effected from the rear of the club head.

Referring now to the said drawings and in particular to Figures 1. to 6 thereof, a golf club shaft I and preferably a steel shaft, hasa shoulder 2 to which is secured or on which is integrally formed a stem 3. The stem 3 has around its circumference straight-line splines or keyways 4 beyond the ends of which are smooth round portions 5, 6, which terminate respectively in an in-. clined portion Hand in a threaded end 1. A tubular slide 8 is internally provided with splines or keys matching with the splines 4 so that the slide 8 will move freely along the splined portion of the stem 3 without rotation thereon. The slide 8 has around its external periphery parallel runs of helical splines or keys9 and also parallel transverse cuts or teeth Ill. The club head I! has a longitudinal bore therein the larger diameter portion of which is provided with helical keys or splines to engage with the splines vSi on the slide 8. angle through the head such that rotation of the This longitudinal bore extends at'an" head alters the lie thereof as well as the angle of the striking face to change the loft.

This larger diameter portion of the bore in the head ll bears on the surface of the stem 3 whilst its smallest diameter portion bears on the surface 6 of the stem. The head H is secured on the stem by means of a screw l2 which receives internally the threaded end 1 of the stem 3 and completes the end bearing for the head I l with the aid of a washer or packing [3 (see Figure 4). The head II is also provided with a transverse bore which opens into the longitudinal bore and in this transverse bore is located a gear wheel I4 the teeth of which engage the cross cuts or teeth In of the slide 8. lhe gear M has an enlarged head [5 which forms a bearing therefor and terminates at its other end in a threaded portion entering in and engaging a holding screw l6 which forms a bearing for the opposite end thereof. A slot 11 is formed in the outer face of the gear head I5 where it lies flush with the striking face of the club Whereon is provided scale marks L8 and a series of numbers I8 in addition to machine lines 20 such as are customarily provided on the faceof an iron golf club.

In assembling the parts care is taken of course that the gear l4 engages the cross teeth In .of the slide 8.

For a player to alter the angle of the striking face of the head II it is only necessary for him to engage the slot I! by a coin and rotate the head [5 and hence the gear M to displace the slide 8 along the stem 3 during which movement of the slide its helical splines 9 due to their engagement with the helical splines in the wall of the longitudinal bore in the head H causerotation of the same. The head may be adjusted to any desired angle or to an .angle corresponding to a club size by positionin the denoted end of the slot I! to the mark l8 adjacent the number [9 corresponding to that of a desired club.

Due to the pitch of the helical threads and the engagement of the slide 8 with the gear [4 it is impossible to rotate the head of the club relative to the stem 3 to alter the angle of the striking face except by manual operation of the gear M as described above.

The engagement of the movable parts by,

splines provides appreciable surface engagement so that the construction is robust and capable of standing the strain of continued use whilst avoiding. disadvantages due to wear.

The movable parts will be assembled with a filling of grease retained at one endby the washer or packing I! and at the clined surface 2| the end of the head I l bears.

The head of the club and the shape of the other end by the inshoulder is that of a normal golf club whilst the,

mass of the head is also normal or made normal by an inset piece 22 which may serve. either to give it a desired weight or to form a wearing surface along the edge of the head which contacts the ground.

In a modification illustrated in Figure 7, the tubular slide 8 is replaced by a slide 28 having a bore with teeth to engage the splines 4 on the stem 3 and externally a pair of opposed ridges 29, 30 (see also Figure 8). These ridges carry helical splines to engage the helical splines in the head ll whilst one of them 9. g. the ridge 30, carries the cross cuts or teeth III to engage with the gear I4.

In a further modification illustrated in Figure on the shoulder against which I means extending through 9, the head [5 of the gear I 4 is positioned at the rear of the club head instead of in the face thereof. In this case the holding screw l6 may be sunk into the face of the club and sealed over or in any other convenient manner made flush with the striking surface.

In the embodiment in Figure 9 the form of the slide 28 may take the form'as shown in the drawings, or the form of the slide 8 described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

I claim:

1. In an adjustable head golf club, a spindle integral with a shoulder on the end of a club shaft to lie at an angle thereto, a non-rotatable member which is slidable along said spindle, a club head, means for mounting said head so as to be capable 'of rotation on said spindle, helical thread means connecting said non-rotatable member with said club head, transverse teeth formed on said non-rotatable member, a gear wheel in said club head engaging said transverse teeth to cause linear movement of said member, and means on an end of said gear wheel which may be engaged to rotate the gear wheel,

2. In an adjustable head golf club, a spindle fast on an end of a club shaft, a club head rotatably mounted on said spindle, a tubular element capable of sliding on but not rotatable about said spindle, helical thread means on said element engaging corresponding thread means in said head, and rotatable means in said head for causing linear motion of said element and hence rotation of said head.

3. In an adjustable head golf club, a spindle fast on an end of a club shaft, a club head rotatably mounted on said spindle, a tubular element capable of sliding on but not rotatable about said spindle, helical thread means on said element engaging corresponding thread means in said head, transverse teeth out in the helical threads on said element, a gear Wheel in said head for engaging said teeth, and means permitting rotation of said gear to cause sliding movemenit of said element and hence rotation of said hea 4. In an adjustable head golf club, a splined shaft, a club head rotatable on said shaft, a tubular element internally'keyed to slide on said shaft, a helical thread on the exterior of said tubular element to engage a corresponding helical thread in said head, means in said head for causing movement of said tubular element, and a surface of said club head for actuating said movement causing means.

5. In an adjustable head golf club, a spindle integrally formed with a shoulder at an end'of a club shaft to extend at an angle thereto, parallel keys extending axially along part of the length of said spindle, a tubular element having internal keys to engage and slide on said spindle; external helical threads on said tubular element, a club head having a helically threaded ibore therein, means for rotatably securing said head on said spindle-with the helical'threads therein engaged by the helical threads on said tubular element, and an element in said head for engag ing said tubular element to cause sliding movement thereof.

6. In an adjustable head golf club, a spindle integrally formed with a shoulder at an end of a club shaft to extend at an angle thereto, :parallel keys extending axially along part of the length of said spindle, a tubular element having internal keys to engage and slide on said spindle,

therein, means for rotatably securing said head on said spindle with the helical threads therein engaged by the helical threads on said tubular element, transverse teeth out into the helical threads on said tubular element, a gear wheel inside said head and engaging said transverse teeth, and externally operable means for rotating said gear.

' 7. In an adjustable head golf club, a spindle fast on an end of a club shaft to extend at an angle* thereto, parallel keys extending axially along part of the length of said spindle, a tubular element having internal keys to engage and slide on said spindle, external helical threads on said tubular element, a club head having a helically threaded bore therein, means for rotatably securing said ,head on said spindle with the helical threads therein engaged by the helical threads on said tubular element, transverse teeth out into the helical threads on said tubular element, a

gear wheel inside said head and engaging said transverse teeth, an enlarged head on one end of said gear wheel which lies flush'with the striking face of said club head, and a slot in the exterior of said enlarged head.

8. An adjustable head golf club in which a stem integral with the club shaft at an appropriate angle thereto has a key-way along which may move a slidable element having an external helical thread engaging a corresponding thread in a bore in the head in which is also a rotatable gear which meshes with cross teeth in the slidable member and is operable externally such that when the gear is rotated the slide is moved along the key-way to cause rotation of the head.

9. An adjustable head golf club as claimed in claim 8 in which the gear has an enlarged head having a slot capable of being engaged by a coin from the outside of the head.

"THOMAS BAN CROFT. 

